5 Post-St. Patrick’s Day Hangover Remedies

St. Patrick's Day is nearly upon us, and while you've probably got your pub crawl planned, you probably don't have a plan for the morning after. We don't mean to be a killjoy here—by all means, go out and have a blast—we just want to give you an edge on battling that inevitable post-revelry pain.

When you wake up on March 18 and your head is pounding and your eyes can't seem to handle this "light" thing, you may be tempted to follow some bad advice. First off: step away from the bloody Mary. The hair of the dog may go down easy, but it won’t cure your hangover. Instead, try these remedies, some familiar and some you might want to try for the first time:

Espresso

Drinkers in Italy swear by strong, homemade espresso to cure a hangover—and sure enough, researchers have found that caffeine reacts against the chemical compounds of ethanol (pure alcohol). Take yours with an aspirin for an anti-inflammatory boost for your headache.

Pickle Juice

In Poland, it’s not the hair of the dog that eases your hangover—it’s a nice, tall glass of sour pickle juice, apparently chock-full of minerals. If you're not crazy about the taste of pickles, skip the juice and reach for a sports drink like Gatorade to get an electrolyte boost (and keep it down).

The Sauna

Russian drinkers swear by spending time in the sauna after a heavy night of drinking, but we suggest you don’t try to compete with these master drinkers. Alcohol dehydrates you, so sweating in a hot room is probably the last thing you want to do. Guzzle water instead.

Vitamins

Your mom always told you to take your vitamins, and she was right—especially right come hangover time. Low levels of vitamins B6 and B12 can intensify a hangover, so take supplements (or a multivitamin) when you wake up.